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Review

Hydra for 21st Century—A Fine Model in Freshwater Research

1
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2
Unit for Mutagenesis, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2024, 16(15), 2114; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152114
Submission received: 14 June 2024 / Revised: 22 July 2024 / Accepted: 24 July 2024 / Published: 26 July 2024

Abstract

Hydra is known for its natural occurrence, anatomical simplicity, intricate physiology, regenerative capacity, and ease of maintenance and manipulation in laboratory environments. It has proven to be a valuable model organism in various disciplines. Its applications range from developmental biology, stem cell research, animal physiology to environmental toxicology including ecotoxicology. The sensitivity of Hydra to a variety of environmental stressors and chemical agents such as metals, nanomaterials, and toxic organic compounds provides valuable insights into physiological mechanisms affected by environmental stressors and pollution, and Hydra can be of great use in environmental monitoring. Furthermore, since green Hydra lives in a symbiotic relationship with unicellular photoautotrophic algae, it is a suitable model organism for symbiosis research. Recently, it has become a popular model in holobiont research. The adaptability and importance of Hydra also extends to aquatic science and aquatic ecology, particularly in the context of monitoring and water pollution. Since the 1980s, Hydra has been increasingly used in various fields of research and has established itself as an important versatile model organism in numerous scientific studies. Hydra also represents an outstanding model in the fields of education and STEM. Hydra continues to be an important model in the 21st century, contributing significantly to our understanding of the biology of water and advancing freshwater research, and possibly finding its way to regenerative medicine and tumor pathobiology research.
Keywords: hydra; endosymbiosis; microscopy; aquatic ecology; ecotoxicology; holobiont; nanomaterials; myc; comet assay hydra; endosymbiosis; microscopy; aquatic ecology; ecotoxicology; holobiont; nanomaterials; myc; comet assay

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kovačević, G.; Korać, P.; Želježić, D.; Sertić Perić, M.; Peharec Štefanić, P.; Sirovina, D.; Novosel, M.; Gottstein, S. Hydra for 21st Century—A Fine Model in Freshwater Research. Water 2024, 16, 2114. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152114

AMA Style

Kovačević G, Korać P, Želježić D, Sertić Perić M, Peharec Štefanić P, Sirovina D, Novosel M, Gottstein S. Hydra for 21st Century—A Fine Model in Freshwater Research. Water. 2024; 16(15):2114. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152114

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kovačević, Goran, Petra Korać, Davor Želježić, Mirela Sertić Perić, Petra Peharec Štefanić, Damir Sirovina, Maja Novosel, and Sanja Gottstein. 2024. "Hydra for 21st Century—A Fine Model in Freshwater Research" Water 16, no. 15: 2114. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152114

APA Style

Kovačević, G., Korać, P., Želježić, D., Sertić Perić, M., Peharec Štefanić, P., Sirovina, D., Novosel, M., & Gottstein, S. (2024). Hydra for 21st Century—A Fine Model in Freshwater Research. Water, 16(15), 2114. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152114

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